Adjustable brush.



F. DOOLITTLE.

ADJUSTABLE BRUSH. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 9

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.'

EINITE sma t FRED DOOLIT'I'LE, OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed May 11, 1917. Serial No. 167,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED DOOLITTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is especially adaptable for tooth brushes, and is herein shown embodied in such a structure.

The user of the common tooth brush finds it difficult to manipulate the brush to clean the teeth in the approved up and down direction. This is because of the fixed relation of the handle and back, which makes it awkward to manipulate the brush in some portions of the mouth.

It is an object of this invention to provide a brush having a back and handle relatively adjustable with respect to one another.

It is another object of this invention to provide a brush with a back which is detachable from the handle.

A still further object of this invention is to provide details of construction, whereby simplicity of structure and ease of operation of the brush are secured.

I accomplish these objects by means of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a brush with the back and handle in one position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the brush with the back and handle in another position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section as seen on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. l is a side elevation of the handle and back detached.

The back 5 is of the usual form without the handle forming a part thereof, and embedded in the back are bristles 6. Upstanding from the back is a button 7; the button 7 is preferably of metal and molded or pressed into the back.

A handle 8 is bifurcated at one end, as indicated by 9, so that the neck of the button may be received within the slot with the handle abutting the head of the button. EX- tending along the lower face of the handle is a slot 10 which ends mid-way of the handle in an opening 11. It will be noted that the slot in the end of the handle is inclined, and disposed beneath this inclined portion and extending along the slot 10 is a wedge member 12. The end of the wedge member 12 is slotted so that it may embrace the neck of the button. The other end of the wedge member is bent upwardly and extends through the opening 11 forming a finger piece 13.

Assuming the elements of the brush are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3; the

The wedge is then retracted by pulling upon finger piece 13 and frictionally holds the back and handle with respect to one another.

If it is desired to detach the handle from the back, the wedge is pushed forward and the handle slipped from the neck of the button. The width of the slot in the end of the wedge is such that the wedge may be slipped over the head of the button, and the handle removed. This permits cleaning of the brush, thereby making it sanitary, and also permits removal of the backs. A handle may thus serve for a number of backs, the backs being replaced as they become worn.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A brush, comprising in combination a back having a button thereon, a handle pivotally mounted on said button, and a slidable wedge member interposed between the back and said handle, whereby the angular relation of said back and handle may be adjusted.

2. A brush, comprising in combination, a back having a button thereon, a handle provided with a slot in which the neck of said button is disposed, and a slidable wedge disposed between said back and said handle, whereby the angular relation of the back and handle may be adjusted.

3. A brush, comprising in combination, a back having a button thereon, a handle pivotally secured to said button, a wedge mcmher having a slotted end embracing the neck of said button and disposed between the handle and back, said wedge member extending along said handle and being provided with. a finger piece for adjusting the die andbeing provided with a finger piece, same. whereby the handle may be detached from 10 4. A brush, comprising the combination the back and the angular relation of the of a back, having a button thereon; a handle back and handleadjusted; provided with a slot at one end in which In witness that I claim the foregoing I said button is disposed, a wedge having a have hereunto subscribed my name this 25th slotted end embracing the neck of said butday of April, 1917. v ton, said wedge extending along said han- FRED DOOLITTLE.

0091 of this patent may be obtained (or five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

